Washing machine



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,447,017 J. A. FLEMING WASHING MACHINE Fi'led Aug. 50, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 27, 1923,

J. Q A. FLEMING WASHING MACHINE 2 sheets-sheet 2 w Filed Aug. 50,

STAT s- Patented Feb. 27, 1923.

UNHTE JOHN o. A. FLEMING, or MARTINSBURG, wns'r VIRGINIA.

' 'wAsHme MACHINE.

Application filed August 30, 1921. Serial No. 496,994.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN Q. A. FLEMING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Martinsburg, in the county of Berkeley, State of West Virginia, have invented 'certain new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to Washing "ma-- chines and it has for its object to provide an improved construction in which the material to be washed is placed-in a tank of water and is therein compressed through the medium of such mechanism as will cause a rubbing of the material anda turning of the material over and over to present successive portions to direct contact with the combined squeezing and rubbing members.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such specific. mechanism 1 for this purpose as may be economically manufactured and may be operated with the expenditure of a minimum of energy, whereby to enhance its commercial value.

In the drawings/ Figure 1 is a view showing the casing in vertical longitudinal section, the crank shaft and pitman in vertical longitudinal section and the remainder of the mechanism in perspective with the combined squeezers and rubbers retracted to the limit;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the tank and its contained mechanism, in a central vertical plane, with the combined pressers and rubbers advanced to show the lower end of the oscillatory squeezer and rubber thrown forwardly to turnover the material.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line,

33 of Figure 2, to include both sides -of thetank. w I

Figure 1 is a detail view, partly in section, of the connection between thearm 40 and the squeezing member 3637.

Referring nowto the drawings, the present washing machine comprises a tank 10 which, in the'present embodiment of the invention, is illustrated .as rectangular in form and this tank is mounted in a frame comprising the uprights or legs 11 which are connected at the sides of the frame and at their upper ends by the parallel supports 12 that extend atone end beyond the legs and have journalledin them a crank shaft 13 that maybe rotated in any desired manner and from any suitable source of power. The supports 12 are connected by the front and rear transverse-members 14:

members 14 and '15 are secured the leg members 16 that are cut away at their upper and 15, beyond which the side supports 12 pro ect and vagainst these front and rear! end portions to receive the corresponding 1 portions of the side members 12 and to provide'shoulders 17 on which these side mem Other side members 18 are se bers rest. cured against the inner faces of the leg members 11- and abut the leg members 16,

while other end members 19 are secured against the inner faces of the leg members Strips 16-and abut'the side -membersg18. 20 and 21 arev secured against the lower edges of the members 18 and 19 respectively and project beyond their inner facesto constitute flanges upon whichthe tank 10 rests. Additional side and end members 23' and24: are provided to further brace the legs; 4

Secured against the side walls of thetank ,10'a're the supporting'rails 25,,there being a pair of these'rails against each side of lthe tank and spaced longitudinally of the atter.

Supported by the rails 25 at opposite sides of that, end of the tank .adjacentthej crank shaft 13- are the supporting rollers carried by the'upper end portion of a reciprocatory and oscillatory, combined squeezer and rubber. This combined squeezer and rubber comprises a rectangular frame 26, in which are mounted the-transverse parallel slats 27 that are spaced apart and disposed with those edges in the direction of the crank shaft 13 at higher elevations than their, opposite or inner edges.

To reciprocate this part of the mechanism, a pitman 28 is rigidly secured to the outer face of the upper portion of the frame 26, is carried through, a notch 29 in: the adjacent end ofthe tank and a notch 30 registering therewith in the adjacent crosspiecel l, to the crank shaft 13. The outer end of the pitman 28'hasf a longitudinal slot 31 through which is engaged :a bolt'32 that is passed through a split pillow block 33 and when this bolt is loosened, the pitmanmay beshifted to adjust this particular combined'squeez'er and rubber with respect to the cooperating squeezer and rubber to be hereinafter described. It will be understood that with this construction, rotation of the crank shaft l 3uwill reciprocate the combined squeeze'rand' rubber with its supporting rollers traveling on the supporting rails hereinbefore particularly referred to.

Upon the supporting rails that-are secured against the inner faces of the sides of the rear end portion of the tank 10, bear the supporting rollers 35 at opposite ends of the upper portion of a second frame 36, recs tangular in form and 1n which frame are mounted the-transverse slats'37 corresponding tothe slats 27 hereinbefore referred to. The slats 37 slant "transversely with their inner edges, which are those directed. toward theslats 27, at lower elevations than their outer edges. 1 The supporting rollers are carried by stub shafts 38 that project from the frame 36' just abovethe shoulders 39 of the frame, the stub shafts passingthrough. the arms 0 that are fitted snugly upon: these shoulders and thus are held rigidly to the frameBG'.

The opposite ends of the arms i0 extend above and beyond the frame 26 and are pivin f 36 with its supporting-rollers upon the corresponding rails 25. the same time, the

vertical throw of the outer end of the pitman 28 causes oscillation of the frame 26 on the axesorstub shafts that carry its supporting rollers.

It willbe tion, the two frames 26 and36 are moved to ward and away from each other and that as they move toward each other, the bottom of the fraiheQt is advanced with a slig'l'itly speed. than" the upper portion of the so; that the material to'be washed gr ater and which is between theseframes is g ve l-a slightly greater pressure at the bottoms oftheffranl es than-at their tops, the action 0f the rock lever 4 1 connection with the igid arm 0 b ings g v s ec p e to'ry movement to the. frame 36," without app ecia l osc let on it T e resul e: the meveinei of the r m de ib an asth fm i j a r a 26 111 1 5 materials in" to e-act 1 whi ht sweats J)? ii noted that with this construe with the frame 36"and as the frames recede, the material first falls downwardly across the frame 36 because of its position similarly inclined position of the frame 26 at such time. These movements eifect a turning over of the material and a rubbing of it against the slats of the framesin addition'tobeing squeezed to force the water through it. i

It is found, in practice, that the described mechanism effects an extremely quick and a thorough washing of the materials treated.

What is claimed is:

1'. A washing machine comprising a tank, squeezing members mounted in the tank for movement toward and away from each other, reciprocating means for moving one of the squeezing members, and connections between the squeezing members movable'under the influence of said reciprocatingmeans to ad Vance the lower portion of one of the squeezing members toward the other squeezing member at a higher rate of speed than the upper portion. Y

2. A washing machine comprisinga tank, guide rails, a squeezing member supported upon the guide rails, means for reciprocating the squeezing member, a second squeezing member'supportedby guide rails, and connections between the squeezing members for reciprocatingthe second squeezing memher toward and away from the first named" squeezing member, and for advancing and retracting the lower port on of the first loo squeezing member at a greater speed than the upper portion thereof.

A. ,washing machine comprising a frame, including. side supports and support ing legs beyond-which the side supports project at one end, a crank shaft rotatably mounted in the projecting end portions of the side supports, a' tank supported between said side supports, a squeezing member mounted within the tank for reciprocation and oscillation, a pi tman rigidly connected.

to the squeezing'meinber in line with itsiaxis of oscillation and connected with thelcrank of the crank shaft for reciprocation and oslation of the squeezing member, rock a fts, pitmen connecting the squeezing member with the rock shafts, a second squeezing'member mounted for reciprocation within the tank, and arms rigidly connected with the secondsqueezing member and pivoted to the rock leversffor reciprocation of the second squeezing member therefrom.

In testimony whereoii, l affix my signaturea A. FLEMING. 

